A personal story on Ukraine
We're very fortunate to have Philip from Pontefract as a member of our club, and he brings this perspective on the recent Russian / Ukraine catastrophe. Phil's club is actively involved in the community and has some interesting links to the region, not least that Philip's daughter has relocated from Moscow to UK because the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. Her story below.
A message from The Rotary Club of Pontefract:
“It is a tragic and sad time for the people of Ukraine and the world.
We have all witnessed over the past few days the devastating situation including the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship in Ukraine. Many of us have friends in Ukraine and feel helpless as we watch the situation unfold. As one of the world largest humanitarian organisations, Rotary has peace as the cornerstone of our global mission.
District 1040, of Rotary in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has a long-standing history with Ukraine. Between 2002 and 2012 we worked together to transport medical aid and educational goods to Uzhgorod in the west of Ukraine. Over the years we have transported millions of pounds worth of redundant, refurbished, and discarded NHS equipment together with essential supplies for the local orphanage. All have been well used and saved many lives.
Since 2014 we have welcomed young people from local schools in Uzhgorod to our district, providing accommodation, arranging visits to local schools and museums. The young people have described these trips to the UK as “the best visit they have ever had.” Plans are well under way for this year’s trip and students are due to arrive here on the 27 March. We don’t know if the trip will be able to go ahead but we do know the people of Ukraine desperately need our help and support now like never before.
As Rotarians and Inner Wheel members we pride ourselves on being people of action.
For our Ukrainian friends now is the time for us to act.”
On March 4th there was a joint appeal by Rotary District 1040 and Inner Wheel district 4 (Based in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire in England) to support humanitarian work in Ukraine.
There are also appeals through the disasters emergency committee consisting 15 charities including Oxfam, Red Cross, Disaster Aid Christian Aid. And Save the Children. However, the Rotary network probably has lower costs.
My own club are organising a collection this Sunday (13th March) at a local shopping outlet. See photos above.
And a personal reflection from Philip..
Putin controls the press in Russia. Laws exist to prevent anyone calling this a war or criticising his actions. My daughter and her family were working in Moscow and thought this was just another sabre rattling exercise because it has happened before. We could see their exits being closed as Russian airlines were banned from various countries and Putin, in turn, did tit for tat.
A flight they booked through Finnair was cancelled, but they had also booked a flight with Turkish Airlines as backup, and they got out. The rest of the family had been putting pressure on them because in Moscow the situation was downplayed.
In the meantime, Visa and Mastercard withdrew support for Russian Credit cards, the rouble has fallen in value and there were queues for cash at Russian ATM’s. If my daughter had waited they may have found they had no means to pay for their flights because of the credit card sanctions. Even those airlines still operating to Russia will reduce flights.
At an airport all planes have checks done and sometimes a spare part is needed. An airline sending an Airbus or Boeing plane may find that there are no parts available in Russia so their plane may not be able to fly safely back from Moscow.
The rich people sending children to the school where my daughter teaches will not be able to pay their fees and there was a very real risk of my daughter, son in law and granddaughter being stuck in Russia with no job or income.
The sanctions are going to hit the ordinary Russian hardest of course. Putin’s rich mates in Londongrad have been given ample warning to transfer their wealth into more accessible accounts.
Phil
* Shelter box was started by Rotary in the UK but is now a separate charity. One shelter box contains a tent, cooking facilities, various tools etc to provide emergency shelter after a disaster such as an earthquake or flood, or bombing.
PS. As a postscript the collection raised £284 ($500) and another is planned in Pontefract Town Centre on SaturdayPhil
“In the meantime, talks are being held with Rotary Assistant Governor’s in your area and Inner Wheel members to explore how we can best get help to where it is needed the most including:
- Direct to Rotary Clubs we have contact with in the area. They have already told us that there is an urgent need for food and medical supplies.
- Through the Ukrainian Centre in Bradford who have launched a ‘Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal’ to provide medicines, food and critical services. They are part of The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, the largest representative body for Ukrainians in the UK.
- Building upon what individual Rotary clubs and areas are doing. This may include collecting items that can be sent via secure routes.
- Shelter Box* and Disaster Aid UK have launched appeals. We can also direct resources to them.”
Great work Pontefract Rotary!
